Kidnapped
by Riana Mustang
Summary: Six months after Tiriana is born, an attack is made on Layla & Qui by someone they hoped to never see again. Tiriana is kidnapped, but her captor will find out the hard way the most dangerous place in the world is b/w a mother & her child. PLEASE R&R!!
1. Explosions

Kidnapped  
Author: Celestia Vitaria  
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. Xanatos DeCruet belongs to Jude Watson. I own Layla, Tiriana, and Healers Aria and J'Torn. Casey, Yogi and Stella belong to my friend. ::Tries to calm over-enthusiastic lawyers:: Hey, we don't get paid for this, you don't sue us, ok?   
Summary: Just a little plot bunny that literally came to me in my sleep. Things are seemingly peaceful at the Temple about six months after Tiriana is born. But an attack is made on Layla and Qui-Gon by someone they'd hoped never to see again. Tiriana is kidnapped, and Layla and co. must find her before it's too late. But the one thing the intruder doesn't realize, however, is that the most dangerous place in the world is between a mother and her child...  
Archive: Fine, but just leave a review with the site addy so I know where it's going and give credit where credit is due, okies? And now, on with the fic! ::grins::  
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Things were finally back to normal.   
  
Or so it seemed to Layla Blair as she sat with her Soulmate, Qui-Gon Jinn, and their six-month-old daughter, Tiriana, out in one of the gardens of the Temple.   
  
Layla sighed and closed her eyes, lifting her face towards the sky. The warmth of the sun on her skin had a calming effect on her, and she smiled. Qui-Gon leant down and gently kissed her forehead, causing her to snap out of her reverie and look up at him.  
  
"Are you all right, love?" he asked softly.  
  
She nodded, glancing down at the child in her arms. "I'm completely at peace right now, Qui. I want to stay like this always. For the first time in my life, I feel like nothing horrible could ever happen to us," she said quietly.  
  
She spoke too soon. There was no warning as the universe suddenly seemed to explode around her. She and Qui-Gon were thrown backwards several feet by the blast that seemed to come from out of nowhere, and at some point between the explosion and landing, she had let her hold on her daughter slip, and the child was torn from her arms.  
  
After a few moments, the smoke started to clear. Layla tried to get up, but she was badly injured and cried out as she collapsed back to the ground again on top of Qui-Gon. It was then that she realized that she no longer held Tiriana. She lifted her head, her honey eyes scanning the area desperately for any sign of her daughter.  
  
Just then, a tall, slender figure appeared, seemingly from out of nowhere. He was dressed entirely in black, only his cold blue eyes visible from beneath the hood of his cloak. Layla stared at him for a long moment. There was something painfully familiar about those ice-blue eyes.  
  
Those eyes...  
  
Then the realization came to her like a sharp slap across the face and she gasped. "Xanatos," she said quietly, her voice barely audible and laced with pain.  
  
The cloaked figure nodded. "I see you remember me," he said smugly.  
  
Layla tried to stand, but fell back down after a moment. She glared at him defiantly. "What do you want?! Get out! You're not wanted here!" she shouted.  
  
Xanatos gave her a nasty smile that sent shivers of revulsion down her spine. She had seen that look only once before, when he had taken her hostage so long ago. "Not wanted? Such a pity," he remarked.  
  
It was then that the soft cry of a baby reached their ears. Layla inhaled sharply, and her eyes went very wide with horror as she willed the child to be silent so Xanatos would not hear her.   
  
::Please, dear God, no. Don't let him hear her. Hush, little one. Tiriana, please don't cry. It's all right. I'm here, mommy's here. Oh, please don't let him take her:: she thought desperately.  
  
But it was all in vain. Xanatos grinned and walked over to where the child lay crying on the ground. He picked her up and glanced back over at Layla, smirking. He then moved to her side and knelt down next to her.  
  
"I told you I would have my revenge," he whispered.  
  
He stood up again, staring down at the injured woman. Then he lashed out at her, and an instant later his booted foot made contact with her side and she screamed as she felt several of her ribs crack with a sickening audible *snap*, the pain spreading through her like a wildfire. She whimpered in agony, coughing up blood.   
  
After a few moments she looked up again, but Xanatos was gone, as was Tiriana. Tears streamed down her face, both from the pain and also from fear.   
  
"No, oh please, God, no. Tiriana!" she whispered.  
  
//Layla? Is everything all right?//  
  
//Casey?//  
  
//Yeah.//  
  
//Get down here now. Bring Obi-Wan too. Please. Hurry.//  
  
//Layla? What's going on?//  
  
//There's no time to explain. Qui-Gon and I have been injured. Just get down here!//  
  
//All right. Where are you?//  
  
//We're out in the meditation garden. Tiriana's gone. She's...been...//  
  
//Layla? Layla, answer me! Are you there?//  
  
There was no response. Layla had obviously lost consciousness. Casey cursed viciously under her breath.  
  
"Damn it!" she hissed just as Obi-Wan walked in.  
  
Obi-Wan gave her a confused look. "Casey? Love, what's wrong? I felt a disturbance..." he started to say before she grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door.  
  
"Come on, we have to get down to the gardens. Qui and Layla are hurt and Layla said something about Tiriana being gone," she answered.  
  
"What happened?" he asked.  
  
Casey shrugged as they ran. "I don't know. Let's just hope we aren't too late."  
****************************  
  
Pain. That was her first thought as Layla slowly started to come back to consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open and immediately she started to panic when she realized she was in an extremely small, cramped space surrounded by some kind of liquid with a mask of some kind on her face.  
  
Frightened, she started to thrash around violently, trying to get out, and a Healer quickly hurried over, followed closely by Casey and Obi-Wan.  
  
//Layla! Layla, calm down, or you're going to make the damage worse// Casey sent to her.  
  
//Must...get out. Must...huh? Wh-where am I? What happened?// she sent back after a long minute.  
  
//You're in a bacta tank right now. You were hurt pretty bad// Obi-Wan replied before Casey could answer.  
  
//Wait. Where's Qui-Gon and Tiriana?// she asked.  
  
//Qui-Gon's fine. He just had some bad burns and was knocked out when the explosion went off.//  
  
//What about Tiriana?//  
  
//Tiriana was kidnapped// Casey sent to her after hesitating just a moment too long.  
  
Layla's eyes became very wide as the memory returned to her. She started to thrash in the bacta again, and the Healer gave her a look that was somewhere between sympathetic and disapproving. She ignored it.  
  
"I think you'd better get her out of there soon, before she breaks out herself," Obi-Wan said ruefully.  
  
The Healer shook his head. "It's too soon..." he started to say. Then he glanced back at Layla and reluctantly gave in. "Very well, but not for very long. I don't want her to injure herself even further than she already is."  
  
Then he gestured for the medical droid that hovered just inside the doorway to come in. The droid obeyed and began to drain the bacta tank. Layla was taken out, and a soft towel was wrapped around her slender shivering form. The Healer let her hold onto his arm as he helped her over to an empty bed. She lay down, hissing in pain at even the slightest movement, and looked over at her friends.  
  
Obi-Wan reached over and brushed a few strands of her dripping wet hair out of her eyes. "What happened?" he asked.  
  
Layla shuddered as she remembered. "There was an explosion, out in the gardens. Qui-Gon and I were thrown backwards, and I lost my hold on Tiriana. When the smoke cleared, I saw Xanatos. He took Tiriana, saying he'd told me before that he would get his revenge. Then he kicked me in the side..."  
  
"That would explain the broken ribs, then," Healer J'Torn said thoughtfully.  
  
"...And then he was gone. We have to go after him. He could hurt Tiriana without a second thought, and I can't lose my daughter. I won't," she continued as if J'Torn hadn't even spoken.  
  
J'Torn shook his head. "I can't release you just yet, Layla. You're too badly injured, and you could make the damage worse," he said, laying a hand on her arm.  
  
She bristled at the touch, pulling away roughly. "What do you mean, you can't?! Why you cold-hearted, sadistic...!" she started to yell angrily before Casey and Obi-Wan stepped in.  
  
"He's right. What good would it be to her if you hurt yourself worse than you already are? Besides, we don't even know where he's taken her, and even if we did, I don't doubt that he wouldn't hesitate to kill her if we rush in. You just concentrate on healing, Layla. Obi-Wan and I will handle it until you're able," Casey said.  
  
"Who's bloody side are you on, Casey?!" Layla demanded irritably, even though she knew her friend was right. That didn't mean she had to like it, though.  
  
"Would you listen to yourself? You're in shock right now, and you're being stubborn. You know we're on your side. But I'd like to get her back alive just as much as you do," Casey said.  
  
Layla bit back her stinging retort and sighed, finally relenting. "Fine. But the second I get out of here, I'm helping with this search, ok?" she said.  
  
Her companions nodded. "Fair enough," the other woman said.  
  
Obi-Wan gave her hand a reassuring squeeze that Layla returned. "Don't worry. Everything will be all right. We're going to go see how Qui-Gon's doing and let you get some rest."  
  
Layla nodded. "All right. Tell him I said hello if he's awake," she requested.  
  
"We will," Obi-Wan promised, letting go of her hand.  
  
Then they turned and left the room. Layla watched them go, then turned back to the Healer who still hovered close by. He gave her a sympathetic smile.  
  
"He's right, you know. Things will be just fine," J'Torn said.  
  
"I know. I'm sorry I snapped at you like that a few minutes ago. I had no right to do that. I'm just so scared right now," Layla replied apologetically.  
  
"I understand completely. I'd feel the same way if I were in your position," J'Torn said.  
  
Layla smiled a little in spite of herself. "I wouldn't wish this on anyone," she muttered. ::Except maybe that slimeball Xanatos:: she thought to herself, but didn't bother to voice that particular thought.  
  
J'Torn patted her arm reassuringly. "Just rest right now. You might have to go back into the bacta later, it depends on how you're doing. I'll be back in a little while to check on you," he said.  
  
Layla nodded as she lay back further into the pillows behind her, letting her eyes drift closed again. "All right. Thank you, J'Torn," she muttered before she slipped into unconsciousness and the darkness claimed her, thankfully untroubled by any dreams.  
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TBC...MWA HA HA!!!! Leave a review and let me know what you think, but I'm going to add onto it whether you like it or not... ::grins::  
~*Celestia Vitaria*~ 


	2. Searching for Xanatos

"Any luck yet?" Obi-Wan asked.  
  
Casey shook her head. "Nope, none. What about you?" she asked.  
  
"No luck here, either," he answered.  
  
Casey sighed. "Well, just keep looking. There's got to be some kind of clue or something around here somewhere. I don't think that explosion was created with the Force itself," she said, starting to get frustrated now.  
  
She and Obi-Wan were down in the Meditation Garden where the explosion had gone off, looking for anything that might lead them to Xanatos. They had been at it for almost an hour, and had not had much luck.  
  
Just when they were ready to give up, Obi-Wan spotted something lying on the ground near some foliage. He picked it up and gestured for Casey to come over. She moved over to where he was standing, staring at the piece of shrapnel in his hand.   
  
"What is it?" Casey asked.  
  
Obi-Wan shrugged. "I don't know. It almost looks like shrapnel from a thermal detonator or something, but I've never seen anything like this before. Look at the strange markings on it," he said.  
  
Casey took it from him and turned it over, holding it up to the dim sunset light. "I don't really know either. The markings look almost Egyptian, but I don't think they are," she muttered.  
  
"How can you be sure?" Obi-Wan asked.  
  
"See right there? They resemble Egyptian heiroglyphs, but if you look closely enough, you can just see the subtle differences between the two," she explained.  
  
Obi-Wan looked closer and realized that she was right. "Hmmm. Maybe there's something in the archives," he muttered.  
  
"Maybe," Casey agreed hesitantly.  
  
Obi-Wan noticed and raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head. "No, but I'm wondering if something like this would be in the archives at all. I'm thinking someone like Dex might know more about it than Jocasta does," she said by way of an explanation. She didn't bother to voice the fact that both she and Layla had been on the wrong end of that woman's indignant personality more than once.  
  
"You've got a point. How about we split up, that way we can cover more ground," Obi-Wan suggested.  
  
She nodded her agreement. "All right. You go check the archives and I'll go talk to Dex," she said.  
  
"Right. Good luck," Obi-Wan said.  
  
"Thanks. You too," she said.  
  
Then she turned and headed towards the hanger where she kept her speeder bike. She jumped on, started the engine and took off towards the lower levels where Dex's diner was, hoping he would be able to give her at least some kind of a lead.  
  
  
  
  
  
TBC...MWA HA HA! R&R and let me know what you think. Sorry this is so short and that it took so long. More to come soon, so stay tuned!  
~*Celestia Vitaria*~ 


	3. Awakening And A Promise Made

Meanwhile, Layla was just starting to wake up again. Her eyes fluttered open, and for a brief moment she thought maybe the entire day had been nothing more than a horrible dream. But after a minute she realized she was still at the Healer's and still very much in pain. She groaned, sitting up slightly, when she noticed Qui-Gon sitting next to her, clasping her hand in his.  
  
"Qui?" she asked softly.  
  
He nodded. "How are you feeling, love?"  
  
"Ugh, do the words 'death warmed over' mean anything to you? My side is still killing me, it kind of hurts to breath still, and I'm really worried about Tiriana," she answered.  
  
Qui-Gon gave her a confused look. "What's wrong with Tiriana?" he asked, fear and concern shimmering in his deep blue eyes.  
  
Layla took a deep breath, hissing in pain as she did so, and shut her eyes for a moment. "She was kidnapped when the explosion went off in the gardens earlier. It was Xanatos. He set off the bomb and took Tiriana, saying something about having his revenge on us. Then he kicked me in the side, and that was the last I saw of either of them," she replied.  
  
"No. God, no," Qui-Gon whispered, shaking his head in denial.  
  
Layla nodded miserably, tears streaming down her face as she looked back up at him. "I wish this was all nothing more than a bad dream, but it isn't. God, Qui, I'm so scared right now. I don't want to lose her. What are we going to do?"  
  
Qui-Gon reached over and, being careful of her bandaged side, took her into his arms and held her close to him protectively. She buried her face in the front of his tunic and cried, Qui-Gon whispering quietly to her, trying to comfort her.  
  
"Shh. It's all right. It's all right. Everything's going to be fine, I promise you. We'll get her back," he whispered just loudly enough for her to hear him, massaging her back gently as he did so, an expression of grim determination on his face.  
  
Neither of them took any notice of J'Torn standing there in the doorway, watching the whole scene unfolding in front of him in silence. Tears shimmered in his brown eyes as he watched them there like that. His heart broke for the young woman who had become like a daughter to him since she and her friend Casey had arrived there so long ago. He turned and left the room after a long minute, not wanting to intrude on the couple, instead leaving them to their privacy. He could always come in a little while and check on Layla. A single tear slid down his cheek as he walked away.  
  
Finally Layla pulled back from Qui-Gon just ever so slightly and looked up at him almost apologetically. Her light brown eyes were red and puffed from crying. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to lose it like that," she said quietly.  
  
Qui-Gon shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for," he assured her. 


	4. Awakening And A Promise Made (cont'd) ::...

She sighed. "I know, it's just that you know I don't really like to cry in front of anyone. The last time I did was when I told you about what my so-called family did to me," she replied, her eyes downcast for a long time.  
  
Qui-Gon tipped her face upwards to meet his gaze. "You know I'll always be here for you. If you need to cry, you can always cry on my shoulder, love," he said.  
  
She nodded. "Thank you, that means a lot to me. I love you so much," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.  
  
He kissed her forehead. "I love you, too."  
  
She laid her head down on his shoulder and a little sigh escaped her. "I wonder if Casey and Obi-Wan have had any luck finding any leads."  
  
"I'm sure they have. Those two are very resourceful," Qui-Gon replied.  
  
"I know. I just hope we're not too late," Layla said quietly, her voice grim.  
  
  
  
  
TBC...MWA HA HA!!!!! R&R and let me know what you think so far. ::Hums Twilight Zone theme song:: And the plot thickens...Stay tuned! *LOL!* Sorry this is a little short, but my Muse refused to cooperate. ::Glares at Muse:: Plus my stupid comp wouldn't let me put the whole ch. up on one thing, so, yeah. ::Smax comp::  
~*Celestia Vitaria*~ 


	5. Meeting With Dex

Casey was getting frustrated. It was taking longer than it should have to get to Dex's Diner because the traffic was moving far too slow for her liking.  
  
::Probably some shmuck in front going two bloody miles an hour:: she thought. Out loud she yelled, "COME ON HERE, PEOPLE! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!"  
  
Around her she heard people honking their horns and shouting their agreements. It didn't do any good.   
  
"ARGH! WILL YOU PEOPLE JUST FREAKIN' MOVE?!"  
  
Finally she decided she'd had enough of waiting on these putzes and pulled a dive, heading away from the traffic lanes and into the lower levels. She came to a stop after a few minutes in front of a small diner. She turned off the engine on her bike, hopped off, straightening her robe, and walked inside.  
  
She started to head for the back area when a server droid passed her. She tapped the droid on the arm and it turned back towards her.  
  
"Can I help you?" the droid asked.  
  
"Yeah, I need to talk to Dex. Tell him the name's Casey," she answered.  
  
"No problem," the droid replied, turning away. "Hey, Dex! There's someone to see you! Jedi by the looks of her!"  
  
A moment later Dex walked out of the back room and grinned when he saw Casey. He walked over to her and gestured for her to sit at an empty booth. She obliged, pulling the piece of shrapnel from a pocket of her robe. The droid she'd spoken to a few moments ago brought a couple of drinks over and left.  
  
"What can I do for ya?" Dex asked.  
  
Casey handed him the piece of shrapnel. "You can tell me where this came from," she answered.  
  
He stared at it for a few moments, turning it in the light to get a closer look at the markings on it. Finally he handed it back to her, a slightly troubled expression on his face.  
  
"Well?" Casey asked.  
  
"It comes from Byss. A small, out of the way planet just on the edge of the Outer Rim. They aren't very tecnologically advanced, but I'd recognize these markings anywhere. This piece is part of a particularly dangerous bomb, almost like a thermal detonator, but it causes more damage than your average detonator. It's amazing your friends are even still alive. Had there been more than one or two, half of the Temple would have been blown into orbit. I don't know how he could have gotten a hold of one of these things, though. The natives aren't friendly to outsiders," Dex explained.  
  
"Hmmm. Then I guess we'll just have to be careful then," Casey said thoughtfully. Then she stood up. "Thanks, Dex."  
  
"No problem. Anytime. I hope Layla and Qui-Gon will be all right," he replied.  
  
"They will be, although I get the feeling Xanatos won't be when Layla gets her hands on him."  
  
"Best of luck to you. I hope you find that little girl."  
  
Casey nodded. "Yeah, me too," she said quietly. "I'll let you know what happens." Then she turned to take her leave.  
  
"Just be careful!" Dex called after her as she started to walk away.  
  
::Oh, we will. Careful to get rid of Xanatos, that is:: she thought to herself.  
  
Once outside, she leapt onto her speeder bike and started the engine. Then she made her way back into the upper levels, hoping that the traffic had died down some. She had to get back to the Temple fast and tell the others. It wasn't much of a lead, true, but it was the best one they had so far.  
  
::It figures. Leave it up to Xanatos to make allies with people who hate outsiders. If that's the case, I wonder how they'd react to the fact that we're Jedi? Hmph, they'd probably try to burn us at the stake or something. Sheesh, I've been around Layla way too long. I'm starting to sound like her now. I'll stop by the Healer's ward and see how she's feeling. I wonder if Obi-Wan's had any luck?:: she thought to herself as she moved in behind an air taxi.  
  
  
  
  
TBC...MWA HA HA!!!! In the meantime, let me know what you think of this so far. ::Again starts humming creepy tune:: And if I screwed anything up, feel free to let me know, ok? But don't flame me. I'll try to have the next part up as soon as I can.  
~*Celestia Vitaria*~ 


End file.
